‘Own your voice, don’t be afraid’

BENGALURU: Kiran Gandhi, known popularly by her stage name Madame Gandhi, rose to fame when she made the bold statement of running while on her period without a tampon in the 2015 London Marathon. The spunky musician, is known for speaking freely and actively about women’s rights. She speaks to CE about her personal and musical journey.

Tell us a bit about the Free Bleeding Movement.
The intention of the movement is to shatter the stigma and silence around menstruation that stops women from making the right decisions for their bodies. One example of that is choosing not to wear any menstrual products, the other is being able to have access to products when they’re bleeding instead of feeling ashamed or having to think about how much these products cost, or feeling like it’s a burden to even ask for these products when they need them. Even in India, there has been a lot of change in the last two years. In the next two months, Bollywood is releasing a film called Pad Man, a real-life story of a man who started a company to shatter stigmas in his own village.

What is going to take for a woman living in India to be able to do something similar?
I want to live in a world where all genders feel free to act based on their own intuition, as opposed to feeling restricted by society. And menstrual health is a huge example of that because this is a normal part of human biology, it’s the reason why the human race exists, it’s how we give birth, yet it’s something that’s oppressed and shamed across the country. It takes families supporting their children and empowering them to be brave to be able to reject problematic societal norms.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility now towards being someone who inspires other women-girls?
Absolutely. I think about what I say, what I post. I actually feel inspired that I have an audience that listens to me online and on stages, and it feels exciting to be able to learn new things and share it with my audience. At NH7, I told parents in my audience that I hope they allow their children to not be a second-rate version of somebody else, but a first-rate version of themselves, and within that there is a deep feminism that underlines. Because women and girls are the most regimented in families, and when parents allow their children to be who they are, they can become the best versions of themselves.

Was gender equality always something you wanted to highlight through music?
Yes. I think all the artistes that have inspired me have highlighted gender equality through either their very radical energy or directly address gender norms. Also, when I started making music, it was obvious to me that this was something I wanted to tackle.

Can you tell us a bit about your musical style and sound?
I call it Electro-feminism - it’s a combination of drums, vocals and electronic production. During live gigs, I move from doing all three on stage.

Who are some of your inspirations?
Right now, it’s the Nooran Sisters (Sufi duo) who performed right before me at NH7, I was blown away by them. Sandunes, another local artiste here in India and Khruangbin are some of the women musicians who are inspiring me these days.

How does it feel doing your first India tour?
It is so amazing and beautiful. I’ve run into friends and family here, and have been treated with so much love and respect. It feels liberating to be able to say a lot of things that sometimes people locally can’t say because of the repercussions. But because I’m an artiste and can enter and exit a space safely, I am aware of that privilege and want to speak about things that are problematic in society.

What is the message you want to send out to girls and women through your music?
Own your voice, don’t be afraid. If there is something in society that holds you back, be brave enough to criticize it, because it’s likely that others feel the same way but don’t know how to voice their opinions as there can be repercussions. The future is female. Make your mark.

Advice for aspiring women musicians in India?
Don’t let the competitiveness hold you back. Dedicate your full attention to your craft, hone your skills and give it all all your love and energy. Enjoy every moment of it and don’t do for the wrong reasons. Own your voice and don’t try to imitate somebody else.